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2.18.2013

Starbucks Delicious Pairings at the Walmart Bakery

While shopping at Walmart for our V-Day romantic dinner, I stopped at the bakery and spotted the Starbucks delicious pairings sign. "There's nothing like a delicious cup of coffee and a sweet bakery treat" were the words that jumped out at me. I had started my errand running without my daily coffee and now I wanted it! Real bad.

I tucked away my cravings and focused on getting a dessert to go with our meal. E's favorite kind of desserts are chocolate based so I chose chocolate turtle brownies. I also picked up Starbucks Dark Caffe Verona. There are lovers on the package. How perfect is that?

When I worked outside the home, I was a regular Starbucks customer ordering a tall coffee (dark roast) and a baked good 5 days a week. The coffee I ordered in store had a somewhat bitter taste and I sometimes added a bit of cream to tone down the sharp flavor.

Now that I'm home with V, I prefer to experiment with different brands and brew at home instead of going out.

While V napped, I brewed myself a cup. According to the package, Dark Caffe Verona has complimentary notes of milk and dark chocolate and caramelized sugar. When I opened the bag, the sweet smell was amazing and the chocolaty aroma became strong during the brewing process.

Seconds later, I cut myself half of a brownie and sat down to indulge. I took my first sip of the coffee and was surprised by how mild it was -- flavorful but mild. I'm used to getting a first sip jolt with dark roast. I took a bite of the brownie and then another sip of coffee. The coffee went from a mild taste to a lightly sweetened dark chocolate flavor. Yum!

It was nice to have this moment to myself and being able to drink coffee without a lid. My morning coffee usually has a lid so that it isn't knocked over in my morning shuffle. Lids also retain the coffee's temperature longer as I don't always get to drink it right away. I may have to move my morning coffee to nap time coffee. It was great to relax and enjoy.

Since we had a pretty busy week, we saved our romantic dinner until the weekend. I decided on Honey Chicken. It's a favorite of E and it's quite fitting as the chicken (and butter) is doused in lots of honey and baked to perfection. The chicken thigh is also shaped like the human heart. Too much? I also cooked his favorite veggie too -- greens simmered in coconut milk. There was a hint of sweetness in everything.

Afterwards, we enjoyed a brownie together. I brewed up the Caffe Verona and explained to him that it had a natural sweetness and he should try it black. That's my preference but not his. He likes his coffee heavy on the milk and sugar. I couldn't convince him to try it as is. We are opposites attracting.

He tasted it with the brownie and found it to be quite tasty anyway. Indeed, the Starbucks sign in the bakery at Walmart was spot on about the #deliciouspairings. There's nothing like a delicious cup of coffee and a sweet bakery treat. While I normally reserve my coffee for mornings or afternoon pick me up, sharing a cup of coffee and the Turtle Brownies from Walmart with E was a great way for us to relax, enjoy, and share an experience.

We had a perfect belated celebration. Not only a celebration of our love on Valentine's Day but the day we were engaged 8 years ago!

How do you drink your coffee? Do you pair it with a sweet treat?

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. #CBias #SocialFabric